Barbarian (2022)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

Discuss

[nghtvsn]

I watched this earlier in the week and I thought it was good. There's a bit in the middle where it suddenly goes back in time and I was like what is this but once I saw what was happening. I was fine with it. Anyway, if you've seen this film towards the end I was really thinking they might make Long's character the victor here. He could have been the last survivor while killing a monster that lived to tell the tale and I was envisioning them doing clips of the aftermath showing how he's got a movie role starring as himself in a film about this. The allegations against him get totally forgotten. His life just gets saved despite him being a dirty dog tossing that woman off the water tower. Was anyone else thinking that? 

[filmlover]

An unexpectedly creepy effort from writer/director Zach "The Whitest Kids U Know" Cregger that deserves to be seen with an audience. Everything about it, from the observations on how people react to stressful situations to the against-type casting of actors like Bill Skarsgard and Justin Long (god what a schmuck he plays in this) to the unusual structure that brings the whole thing together to the carefully placed moments of humor that are sometimes mixed with terror (that baby bottle eek), is clearly the product of a filmmaker who is highly confident in their material. This actually reminded me of last year's Malignant, another horror movie that went down unexpected paths, although I think this one works better since it generates some genuine chills vs. campy thrills. It could very well be the start of a Jordan Peele-style career for Cregger that moves from a comedy background to horror with a touch of social commentary. B+

[baumer]

There was nothing even a little bit subtle about this film. Everything it has to say, it says six times a scene while smacking you in the face and screaming "get it???"

The first act was fine. Creepy and tense enough that I was along for the ride even when at times it was a little too on the nose in attempts to set up an uncomfortable situation. The rest of the movie ditches that vibe entirely, changes pace in a way that it can't really handle, and incorrectly assumes that if something is gross it is automatically scary.  I was really hoping the first twenty minutes was going to be the tone for the rest of the film.

 This was not scary, clever, or fun. And I honestly don't get what was supposed to be surprising/wild about this. The "twists" were pretty standard horror fare, but done in a way that felt almost condescending. It felt like a horror movie that was at least in part *about* horror movies in that meta/genre savvy way, but made by people who do not love horror movies.

 

5/10

[avensis]

Film not bad despite a classic end I find, and always these messages where ALL men are monsters … in short, there are still beautiful ideas

[MOVIEGUY]

Climax gets a little too off the rails and the main girl has some of the dumbest survival instincts I've ever seen in a horror film, but it was fun, I enjoyed it.

[CoolioD1]

This was ok. Has a couple creepy moments and justin long is fun in it. think I was a little too hyped up by the "this is crazy!!" reactions when it isn't really. Kind of a standard "don't go into the basement" type thriller.

[Avatree]

REALLY enjoyed this on halloween night. when the credits appeared, I sighed a massive gasp of air that I could finally breathe.  I found this super tense.

[Napoleon]

It's fun but kinda disappointing. The movie has a first half that is intriguing and suspenseful but then starts to not take itself seriously and becomes goofy and weird in a way that was frustrating to me. For something as hyped as this was, I was expecting it to bring something new to the genre. I also don't think there was anything clever about the script. I'm sure it was a great time for the ones who had the opportunity to see it in a theater with an audience, though. But to me it was just disposable entertainment.